[url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=yasinskas_pat&id=3281232]ESPN - Browns focused on winning, not building for future - NFL[/url]

The article is new, but its a topic we have talked about recently in our excitement to having four picks in the first three rounds.

The Browns however, have zero picks in those round. Their coach Crennel is quoted as saying
"Brady Quinn is my first-round pick,'' the coach of the Cleveland Browns said Thursday. "Brady's going to be a good quarterback for the Browns for a long time to come. My second-round pick is Corey Williams. He played four years up in Green Bay, and he played very well. My third-round pick is Shaun Rogers. He's a tremendous talent, and he's very excited about being in Cleveland.''

i doubt they would have done better than what they got in the draft, though it is a lot more expensive.

GMScud

03-09-2008 11:39 PM

Re: Browns the new Redskins

As far as this year goes, the Jets are a candidate as the "new Redskins" too. They have given out over $140M in total contracts in the past two weeks, over $70M of which is guaranteed, not mention trading 2 2008 draft picks in the process. And the moves are questionable. $22M guaranteed to Calvin Pace? Making a soon to be 32 year old Alan Faneca the richest O-lineman in history? Making a 30 year old Damian Woody the RT for a ton of money (he's only started 5 games ever at RT his entire career)? Giving up 2 draft picks for an overweight, injury prone, malcontent Kris Jenkins, then giving him a $35M ($20M guaranteed) contract? Panicked overspending. I said this in another thread, but it bears repeating here.

That Guy

03-10-2008 12:19 AM

Re: Browns the new Redskins

[quote=GMScud;430685]As far as this year goes, the Jets are a candidate as the "new Redskins" too. They have given out over $140M in total contracts in the past two weeks, over $70M of which is guaranteed, not mention trading 2 2008 draft picks in the process. And the moves are questionable. $22M guaranteed to Calvin Pace? Making a soon to be 32 year old Alan Faneca the richest O-lineman in history? Making a 30 year old Damian Woody the RT for a ton of money (he's only started 5 games ever at RT his entire career)? Giving up 2 draft picks for an overweight, injury prone, malcontent Kris Jenkins, then giving him a $35M ($20M guaranteed) contract? Panicked overspending. I said this in another thread, but it bears repeating here.[/quote]

good point. the browns and dolphins have signed a lot of guys, but they've gotten value and good players.

jets, raiders, etc on the other hand...

Dirtbag59

03-10-2008 12:25 AM

Re: Browns the new Redskins

[quote=GMScud;430685]As far as this year goes, the Jets are a candidate as the "new Redskins" too. They have given out over $140M in total contracts in the past two weeks, over $70M of which is guaranteed, not mention trading 2 2008 draft picks in the process. And the moves are questionable. $22M guaranteed to Calvin Pace? Making a soon to be 32 year old Alan Faneca the richest O-lineman in history? Making a 30 year old Damian Woody the RT for a ton of money (he's only started 5 games ever at RT his entire career)? Giving up 2 draft picks for an overweight, injury prone, malcontent Kris Jenkins, then giving him a $35M ($20M guaranteed) contract? Panicked overspending. I said this in another thread, but it bears repeating here.[/quote]

Looks like Don Banks agrees with you.

[B]Thumbs down[/B]

• [B]New York Jets[/B] -- The Jets seem to be getting credit for trying in free agency, but that's not necessarily always the right approach. Just ask a Redskins or 49ers fan. I sense a certain lack of rhyme or reason in New York's additions, as if the Jets aren't really sure who they are as a football team. Are they still right on the heels of the Patriots in the AFC East, as they appeared in 2006, or miles behind them, as was the case in 2007? How big a gap are they trying to close?

Many believe [B]Kris Jenkins[/B] is an upgrade at nose tackle, but it's a different role for him compared to playing defensive tackle in a 4-3. I've got questions about how he'll adapt and how long he'll stay healthy. And while [B]Alan Faneca[/B] and [B]Damien Woody[/B] look like a huge improvement on paper, Woody shifting to right tackle this late in his career is a puzzler. Faneca, it must be noted, was part of a Steelers O-line that was the weakest link on the team. For that matter, the same was true of Woody in Detroit. For all the extra money he'll cost, will Faneca be a head-and-shoulder improvement at guard over the exiled [B]Pete Kendall[/B]?

The [B]Calvin Pace[/B] signing makes sense to me, because New York had no pass rush last season, and he could really help on that front. But I still think the Jets wasted Vilma's talents and wound up giving him away to New Orleans. Getting fullback [B]Tony Richardson[/B] should also aid the chances of lead rusher [B]Thomas Jones[/B] having a bounce-back second season in New York. Jones was a disappointment last season, but it likely had more to do with the Jets underachieving offensive line.
And then there's the karma factor. The Jets' spending spree in free agency seems to have ticked off some of their best players, top receiver
[B]Laveranues Coles[/B] among them. That could wind up being a bit
counterproductive. Lost in the shuffle so far is another key point: Who's definitively the Jets' guy at quarterback: [B]Kellen Clemens[/B] or [B]Chad Pennington[/B]?

Until that's resolved, it's hard to know exactly which direction New York is headed.

Dirtbag59

03-10-2008 12:40 AM

Re: Browns the new Redskins

Of course in retrospect, these moves (or lack there of) in Free Agency will only mean so much once the season starts because

[YT]IMk5sMHj58I[/YT]

djnemo65

03-10-2008 01:35 AM

Re: Browns the new Redskins

Until someone actually employs this strategy succesfully I am going to remain dubious. Last year when the punditry was picking SF as a contender in the NFC, I had seen that movie too many times as a Redskins fan to take them seriously. The last team I can remember succesfully buying a championship was the 94 49ers, who were a historically great team that just needed to get past the historically greater Cowboys. Hasn't worked since then to my knowledge.

freddyg12

03-10-2008 08:59 AM

Re: Browns the new Redskins

[quote=djnemo65;430709]Until someone actually employs this strategy succesfully I am going to remain dubious. Last year when the punditry was picking SF as a contender in the NFC, I had seen that movie too many times as a Redskins fan to take them seriously. The last team I can remember succesfully buying a championship was the 94 49ers, who were a historically great team that just needed to get past the historically greater Cowboys. Hasn't worked since then to my knowledge.[/quote]

that 49er team added a no. of players, but I can't remember, did they pay big $ for them? That was also in the very early years of unrestricted free agency & the good teams like the 49ers still had their core intact.

I agree though, I can't think of any team that's paid that kind of money for free agents in one year & been successful. The difference between what the Jets are doing & what the pats did last year is the high salaires iMO. Yes, the Pats got Moss, Stallworth et al, but they didn't spend huge sums on them. Just as Banks points out, the salaries also impact team chemistry, as we know as skins fans.

TheMalcolmConnection

03-10-2008 09:26 AM

Re: Browns the new Redskins

Yeah, for me it's the 49ers..

SKINSnCANES

03-10-2008 10:17 AM

Re: Browns the new Redskins

[quote=TheMalcolmConnection;430728]Yeah, for me it's the 49ers..[/quote]

last year and this year the 49ers have definitly spent a ton of money in free agency, but I wouldnt classify them as being 'the new redskins' becuase they still had their draft picks, and imo did an amazing job with most of their picks. They have some real studs in there for the last few years.

GMScud

03-10-2008 10:24 AM

Re: Browns the new Redskins

[quote=SKINSnCANES;430743]last year and this year the 49ers have definitly spent a ton of money in free agency, but I wouldnt classify them as being 'the new redskins' becuase they still had their draft picks, and imo did an amazing job with most of their picks. They have some real studs in there for the last few years.[/quote]

Yeah I wish we had Patrick Willis. Dude is an animal. Gore was one of the more underrated draft picks of the past few years too. A steal for a 3rd rounder.

TheMalcolmConnection

03-10-2008 10:29 AM

Re: Browns the new Redskins

[quote=SKINSnCANES;430743]last year and this year the 49ers have definitly spent a ton of money in free agency, but I wouldnt classify them as being 'the new redskins' becuase they still had their draft picks, and imo did an amazing job with most of their picks. They have some real studs in there for the last few years.[/quote]

I'm talking more about the overspending for free agents and not producing on the field. If they go another year with a bad record, they're going to get quite a reputation...